Symbolism In Upon A Spider Catching A Fly

In the historical fiction The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver portrays the American perspective on Africa with the use of a physical representation. In the beginning of the novel, the Price family, the protagonists and narrators, have their own perspective of their journey in a village of Kilanga which is located in South Africa in a congo. The family came with mindsets of missionaries because the father of the family, Nathan, has the desire to spread the word of God and the religion of Christianity throughout the the Congo. However, his unusually amount of urge to change the faith and religion of the African people demonstrate the American perspective because of the ignorance and the lack of acknowledgement of the people and setting. Thus, Barbara Kingsolver uses Nathan as a physical representative of the American perspective. In order to demonstrate the arrogance of the American perspective on the African people, Barbara Kingsolver dramatizes the tension between Nathan and the African people, suggesting that the American people view their principles more superior than principles of the African people despite the difference in setting and influences.

In “Sinners”, Edwards employs metaphors and imagery to show how God can unleash his fury upon the world. The author mentions how the reader is as safe from the ultimate being’s wrath as “much as a spider… over a fire”. (Sinners 89) The quote is a metaphor for the audience to comprehend there is no safety as the Lord will eventually hold nothing back. Furthermore, he calmly expresses the reader

Jonathan Edwards sermon reveals imagery to terrify the sinners. The sermon states, "...loathsome insects." Jonathan Edwards is indicating that in the eyes of God, God looks at his people with disgust and hatred. When stating an insect, it is referring to people, how God is more disgusted by people's actions than an insect. Imagery persuades his audience by revealing a scary image rathe than angry.

Disturbingly describing God’s abhorrence towards man and comparing it to a spider being held over a fire and claiming that is humanity in the hands of God, that they are nothing but to be cast away into a fire, his disdain towards the church congregation is displayed. Edwards forces the congregation to feel his dislike towards them by expressing God’s and it makes them aware of how angry God must be and the reality that to him, they are nothing worth looking at and are better off burning. Another example of imagery is God’s bow of wrath already bent with and arrow of justice ready to be shot at their hearts. Here he lets their minds wander by the thought of God shooting an arrow into their heart, having no reason not to shoot it because they are sinners and sinners will see justice when he finds fit. His tone is more cautious and informative but still menacing, he prepares them for the worse just to fling them further down into guilt and

Edwards compares man and his righteousness to insects to demonstrate the unworthiness and insignificance of man. “The God that holds you over the pits of Hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over a fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked:”. In this imagery, Edwards tells how the only thing keeping humanity from Hell is God holding them in His hand. However, God’s wrath is also depicted, as Edwards describes God holding them as if they were loathsome bugs or spiders. This emphasizes the huge size of God’s wrath, as generally people do not like bugs and would gladly throw them in fire. This stresses the dangerous situation humanity is in, saying that they are all hanging by a string over Hell and would cause the audience to repent and seek salvation. “… all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of Hell, than a spider's

The Memoir Spider Eaters by Rae Yang is her personal account of her life during the Maoist revolution. In addition, she reminisces about her trials and tribulations during her active participation in the culture revolution and the great North Wilderness. Her family also had various misfortunes due to these changing ideological beliefs spread by the revolution. This memoir illustrates in great detail what Yang experienced under communist rule. Spider Eaters opened up a door to a young girl and her families struggle to be good Samaritans under communist rule and their final disillusionment of the revolution they whole heartedly believed in. Yang and her family struggled with the vast ideological changes during the Maoist Revolution, in turn,

Upon a Wasp Chilled with Cold, written by Edward Taylor, tells of a very interesting story in which a wasp warms itself up in preparation for a journey. Edwards word choice is very vivid and one may describe his diction as passionate. He seems to use rhyme and an array of poetic devices as a means to convey his passion. As an orthodox Puritan he truly captures their mentality and desire for God. In the poem Edward envisions himself as this little wasp basking in Gods warmth and divinity, he imparts with his readers his desire to reach a state of clarity in which his ‘misted sight’ would be unblemished and ready to gaze upon God.

Jonathon Edwards maintains his audience’s attention by creating intense and meaningful similes. Edwards uses these similes as a way for his audience to understand the points he is making and adds dramatic imagery and piercing words to get the audience to consider what he is saying. The first simile he uses says this, “…they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall” (Edwards 1). Edwards includes this quote in his sermon to provoke the readers thought. The point he is trying to make is that God’s people are exposed to destruction which is a hard to imagine so he breaks it down for his audience by saying that just as they are exposed to destruction if you walk in a slippery place you will also fall. The next memorable simile Edwards uses says this, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked. His wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire…” (6). Here Edwards compares his congregation to a “loathsome insect”. Edwards does this to try and describe how God views them. He continues his claim by comparing God’s wrath on them burning like fire, which would probably spark fear in the hearts of the people that they may repent. This simile helped further Edward’s main point, that hell is inevitable. One last simile Edwards uses is this, “Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards

In Upon a Wasp Chilled with Cold, Edward Taylor uses a ‘wasp’ to illustrate the body of a woman. This wasp endures a “Bear that breathes a Northern blast” (Taylor l. 1), and the ‘Northern blast’ is a representation of the attitude that one possesses without the amicable love of God. The wasp “out extends/Unto the Sun, in great desire/To warm her digits at the fire.” (Taylor ll. 8-10), meaning the wasp wants to be embraced by the grace and salvation of God himself. The wasp eventually receives enough of the warm embrace of the Sun (in this case, the love and salvation of God), and is able to maneuver and fly home in a gleeful manner, all thanks to the glory of God. An argument could be made that the wasp using the Sun to warm itself up is similar in comparison to how human beings want to be under the warm embraces of God as well,

Charles Waddell Chesnutt is an African American writer who writes many novels and short stories about African American superstitions and folklore of the south in “The Conjure Woman”. “The Conjure Woman” is a collection of folk tales that explore complex issues of racial and social identity in the post-Civil War. Chesnutt writes these stories in vernacular forms to represent the oral act of storytelling and express Chesnutt’s black identity and cultural heritage of African American people. Chesnutt's folktales are narrated either to teach the readers lessons or to represent how African American people are treated by whites as second class citizens. The following essay concentrates on superstitions and folklore in Chesnutt’s stories, and how Chesnutt uses African American folklore

I have read material from many different authors and although I enjoyed most of them, I have to say that my two favorites were Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet. Both of these authors are Puritans, and it is easy to tell when reading their pieces. Puritans typically write in simple language, and always refer to God. Edward Taylor created a powerful analogy in his piece, Upon a Spider Catching a Fly. The analogy that he describes is an analogy between people and Satan. The spider represents the devil, who is manipulative and wants to trap people in his web of sin. The wasp represents someone who is strong in their faith and does not let themselves get trapped in

Phillis Wheatley’s, ‘On Being Brought from AFRICA to AMERICA’ is a testament to writing that utilizes irony and satire to produce a salient argument. As Susan Martin, states in her analysis of Wheatley’s poem, “a young woman who sought to assert her views on the passage from freedom to slavery, ignorance to knowledge, darkness to enlightenment” (Martin, 157). In particular, Wheatley’s aim was to construct a piece which addresses the ideals expressed by Martin utilizing irony and satire. Moreover, Wheatley, at the time of writing this poem, was amongst those enslaved. In fact, Wheatley published her first book in 1773. This is a time before America’s independence and most certainly a time where slavery was prominent. This book, which contained numerous poems, proved those enslaved were more intelligent than previously thought. Within Wheatley’s book, her famous poem, ‘On Being Brought from AFRICA to AMERICA’ was read. Read by those who supported slavery and those who opposed it. Typically, Wheatley addresses Christianity and avoids any discussion of race. However, this poem addresses racial issues straight on. On the surface of this poem lies words that when first perceived, appear to support slavery and her deposition from Africa. Moreover, Wheatley utilizes irony and satire to provide a deeper message that speaks out against slavery. More importantly, satire and irony allow two views to form. Through analysis from authors, Levernier, Loving, and Martin, their multiple perspectives can be formed into one. This analysis, will allow a better understanding of Wheatley’s intent with each line and a closer analysis of her clever rhetoric. Furthermore, Wheatley aims to reveal the improper treatment of, “Negros, black as Cain” (Wheatley), while also allowing the poem to be perceived as an appraisal of slavery. Furthermore, Wheatley utilizes each line to provide discussion on different issues regarding slavery in terms of criticizing white Christianity. Furthermore, Wheatley makes her viewpoint of slavery clear; an improper treatment that will not last.

the quotations are from sparknotes.) they have an exchange of witty sentences to each other. In those lines he says that she is a wasp, dangerous animal, then she replies if I'm a wasp watch out for my stinger. He replies simply he will pluck it out, proving that she can't hurt him and showing that he is trying to tame her. She then says if you can even find it because he is a fool.

One of the most influential writers and new light preachers was Jonathan Edwards. Edwards was born into an Orthodox family on October 5th, 1703, in the city of East Windsor, Connecticut. As a child, Jonathan Edwards had constant exposure to the teachings of the Bible and Christian theology, as well as having the opportunity to learn a variety of languages such as Greek and Latin (University). Throughout his childhood, Edwards received an adequate and excellent education from his father and ten sisters, so that he could be prepared to attend college and earn his undergraduate and graduate degrees in philosophy and theology. Furthermore, when Edwards was only eleven years old, he wrote his first piece of scientific literature titled “Flying Spider,” in which he accurately portrayed scientific observation and marvelous literary skills

The speaker is preparing to die. The crowd is now ready to experience the grandeur the speaker thought would accompany death, but suddenly, a fly intervenes. This is a lead in to the next stanza, in which the fly interrupts the event the speaker is waiting for at the moment of their death. The speaker has almost ceremonially prepared for death. It seems as though nothing will go wrong and they will see the big even they have been waiting for, and suddenly a fly appears, spoiling the moment they hoped would come.